This blog will offer tips on how to prepare for natural disasters and steps to take afterward. Bradley Davis of Disaster Web has offered to write this article to readers. In light of the recent disasters, these practical tips may help you or your loved ones. Please share!
No matter where you live, your environment is prone to natural disasters and bad weather. There’s no immunity to earthquakes, fires, storms, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, typhoons, monsoons, blizzards, or volcanoes. Everyone is susceptible to Mother Nature’s unpredictable behavior, and everyone should be prepared. Before and after disaster strikes, protect your family, pets, and home with these seven preparations.
Have Insurance and Backups
Make sure your property is insured. Document everything that’s valuable, take photos, and scan receipts of expensive purchases. Upload everything to the cloud so that if you lose your computers, you’ll still have the digital files.
Get Your House Ready for Anything at Anytime
If you live in a flood, hurricane, or fire zone, know the important adjustments to make for your home. Make sure your smoke alarms are up to date. Consider buying a generator for backup power. Clean your gutters to let the water flow. Seal the windows and doors with caulk to prevent water from entering. Anchor down loose objects or anything that could potentially blow away in strong winds, such as trees, rooftops, and garage doors.
Safely Store Your Valuables
Whether it’s a waterproof safe or an easy way to grab and go, find storage for important documents, cash, jewelry, and irreplaceable heirlooms. If you have to evacuate and aren’t able to take everything, move as many things as possible to higher ground. Keep non-perishable food in a dry place so that floodwater won’t contaminate it. That food might come in handy after the storm.
Pack a Disaster Preparedness Tool Kit and a To-Go Bag
Your emergency survival kit should include first aid supplies, three days of non-perishable food, water, a battery-powered radio, flashlights, batteries, dust masks, ponchos, survival blanket, glow sticks, candles, matches, a can opener, a map, portable phone chargers, pliers, and a whistle. You can purchase pre-made emergency kits with most of these items inside. Your personal to-go bag should include enough clothes to get you through a few days in case you have to evacuate on short notice.
Make a Plan and Practice It
Schools and businesses have fire drills, so why shouldn’t your home have them? Come up with a plan and practice it with the family. The plan should include exit strategies, where to meet up in case of separation, how to contact one another, and other emergency communication methods. Know which websites and radio stations to turn to for information when the disaster hits and after the disaster when relief efforts are underway.
Prepare for Your Absence
Have a trusted neighbor on call when you’re not home. If disaster strikes while you’re not home, you’ll be glad you came up with a backup plan for the kids and pets. Post signs so that rescue workers know you have a cat inside. When rescue workers are going door-to-door to see where help is needed, they won’t know to look for your cats under the debris unless you state it. A pet rescue sticker could save your cat’s life.
Buckle Up for Harsh Conditions
Some disasters can’t be predicted, but hurricanes have enough warning for you to pack up and leave if you need to evacuate. You can take important steps to prepare your home with the right tools before the storm hits. Board up the windows to prevent glass from shattering. Unplug all electronics in case of flooding or fire. If you’re staying home, fill large coolers with ice to store perishable food. Fill bathtubs, buckets, bins, and bottles with water so you have a clean supply in case the water is shut off after the storm hits.
You never know when these worst-case scenarios will happen, but you can turn them into better-case scenarios by taking precautions to protect the most precious things in your life. Remember to stay updated on news and act as soon as instructed. Relief will come, but you can do what’s in your power to remain safe, lessen the damage to your home, and survive the post-disaster moments.
Please share this article with someone you know who could benefit from these tips!